Balbir Singh Sr. facts for kids
Melbourne Olympic Victory Ceremony
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Birth name | Balbir Singh Dosanjh | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Indian | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 31 December 1923 Haripur Khalsa, Punjab, British India |
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| Died | 25 May 2020 (aged 96) Mohali, Punjab, India |
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| Residence | Burnaby, Canada Chandigarh, India |
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| Alma mater | Dev Samaj High School, Moga DM College, Moga Sikh National College, Lahore Khalsa College, Amritsar |
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| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | India | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Field hockey | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Field Hockey Men's team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | India (International) Punjab State (National) Punjab Police (National) Punjab University (National) |
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Medal record
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Balbir Singh Dosanjh (born December 31, 1923 – died May 25, 2020) was an amazing Indian hockey player and coach. He won three Olympic gold medals for India. He played a very important part in India's wins in London (1948), Helsinki (1952), and Melbourne (1956) Olympics.
Many people think he was one of the greatest hockey players ever. He was often called Balbir Singh Senior to tell him apart from other players with the same name. He holds an Olympic record for scoring the most goals in a men's hockey final. He scored five goals in India's 6–1 win against the Netherlands in the 1952 Olympic gold medal game. Balbir Singh scored 246 goals in just 61 international games!
After his playing career, Singh became a coach. He was the manager and chief coach for the Indian team that won the 1975 Men's Hockey World Cup. He also led the team to a bronze medal in the 1971 Men's Hockey World Cup. In 2012, during the London Olympics, he was honored in an exhibition called "The Olympic Journey: The Story of the Games." This show celebrated his incredible strength, passion, and achievements as an Olympian.
Balbir Singh passed away at the age of 96 in Mohali on May 25, 2020.
Contents
Early Life and Hockey Dreams
Balbir Singh Dosanjh was born into a Jat Sikh family. His father was a freedom fighter, so he was often away from home. When Balbir was twelve, he watched a newsreel about India winning the 1936 Olympic hockey gold. This made him really interested in hockey.
Later, a coach from Khalsa College noticed his talent. Balbir became captain of the Khalsa College hockey team and led them to win three championships in a row. Soon, he was playing for the Punjab state team. He helped the Punjab state team win two national titles in 1946 and 1947.
Olympic Glory: 1948-1956
Balbir Singh's time playing in the Olympics was truly golden. He helped India win three gold medals!
London Olympics (1948)
Balbir Singh first played at the 1948 London Olympics against Argentina. He then played in the final match against Great Britain. Singh scored the first two goals, and India won the game 4–0. It was a fantastic start to his Olympic journey!
Helsinki Olympics (1952)
At the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Balbir was the vice-captain of the Indian team. He was also India's flag bearer in the opening ceremony. He scored three goals (a hat trick) against Britain in the semi-final, helping India win 3–1.
In the final match against the Netherlands, he scored five goals! This set a new Olympic record for the most goals by one player in a men's field hockey final. India won that game 6–1. Balbir Singh scored nine of India's total 13 goals in Helsinki, which was almost 70% of the team's goals!
In 1954, he led the Indian Hockey Federation team on a tour of Malaya and Singapore. India won all 16 matches, and Balbir Singh was the top scorer with 44 goals.
Melbourne Olympics (1956)
Balbir Singh was the captain of the 1956 Olympic team. He scored five goals in the first match against Afghanistan. However, he got injured after that game. Randhir Singh Gentle took over as captain for the next few matches.
Even though he was injured, Singh played in the semi-final and the final. India won the final match against Pakistan 1–0. In total, he scored 22 goals in the 8 Olympic matches he played throughout his career.
Life After Playing Hockey
After his amazing playing career, Balbir Singh continued to contribute to hockey.
In 1957, he received the Padma Shri award. This was a very special honor, as he was the first sports person to get this award. He also helped the Indian hockey team win a silver medal at the 1958 Asian Games.
He coached the Indian hockey team for the 1971 Hockey World Cup, where India won a bronze medal. In 1975, he was the manager of the Indian team that won the Hockey World Cup! This was a huge achievement for Indian hockey.
Balbir Singh also wrote two books: his autobiography The Golden Hat Trick (1977) and The Golden Yardstick: In Quest of Hockey Excellence (2008).
Awards and Special Recognitions
Balbir Singh received many awards and honors for his contributions to hockey.
- In 1957, he was the first sports person to be given the Padma Shri award.
- In 1958, a stamp was made in his honor by the Dominican Republic.
- He lit the Sacred Flame at the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi.
- That same year, a newspaper poll named him the Indian Sportsperson of the Century.
- In 2015, he received the Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award from Hockey India.
- On May 25, 2021, the Mohali International Hockey Stadium was renamed the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium to honor him.
About Olympic Records
Balbir Singh holds the record for most goals scored by one player in an Olympic men's hockey final. Sometimes, there have been wrong reports saying that another famous player, Dhyan Chand, scored six goals in the 1936 Olympic final. However, Dhyan Chand himself wrote in his book that he scored three goals in that match. The International Hockey Federation also confirms that Dhyan Chand scored three goals in that final. This means Balbir Singh's record of five goals in a final is truly unique!
See also
- List of Indian hockey captains in Olympics
- Field hockey in India
- India men's national field hockey team
